November Newsletter
A Message from the Principal
Dear Parents,
I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving and were able to spend some quality time with your family and friends. It is hard to believe that Winter Break is right around the corner.
We had a packed October/November with many activities for our families. I appreciate all of your support in attending our schoolwide events. Our Trunk or Treat was a huge success and a special thank you goes to our local businesses!! Belmont Elementary School appreciates and thanks McDonald’s on Rte. 1, 7-11 on Occoquan Road, and Sweet Frog on Smoketown Road for your help in supplying treats to our students!! Our Multicultural Night was also a huge success with many families and students attending, providing food, and performing dances. It was so much fun!!
We have two major events in December. Our 5th grader string students will perform on November 29, 2018 and our December SOAR night is scheduled for December 11, 2018. Please come out and support your child’s learning at Belmont. Remember our SOAR nights are specifically designed to learn about what your child is learning in the classroom in Language Arts, Math, Science, and Social Studies. Our December SOAR night (Polar Express) has a focus on literacy. We hope you can join us!!
As a reminder Winter Break begins on Friday, December 21, 2018 (No school) and ends on Tuesday, January 1, 2019.
Thank you so much for your support!!
Enjoy the holiday season!!
~~~~Dr. G
Calendar
November 29 - String concert for 5th grade.
December 11 - Night of Polar Express
December 12 - Coffee and conversation with the director.
December 18 - Advisory Council 6:30 pm
December 21 - January 1 - Winter break
From the Office
As a reminder, our start time and dismissal time have changed. Instruction now begins at 8:15 a.m. and dismissal begins at 2:55 p.m. Remember that we do not dismiss students from the office between 2:30 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. during bus dismissal. If you need to change your mode of transportation, please make sure that you call the office prior to 2:00 p.m. If you are running late, please call the office to let us know.
Coffee and Conversation with the Principal
Please come to our “Coffee and Conversation with the Principal” in the Parent Resource Center. This informal meeting with the principal will be held on the second Wednesday of each month at 9:00 a.m. The next Coffee and Conversation event is scheduled for December 12, 2018.
BoxTops
You can help our school by clipping BoxTops and sending them to the school with your student. The next submission deadline is March 1.
We will have a competition between grades K-2 and 3-5.
The class with the most BoxTops will have a pizza party in April!
From the Nurse
Happy November Eagles!
This month reminds us to be thankful. I want to thank the Lions Club of Woodbridge for helping assist me on the vision and hearing screening for all kindergarten, third graders and new to the county students on October 24th. Only referrals went out if your child didn't pass. Please know we have many resources for Parents/guardians in our front office. This includes recommendations for uninsured students and families that need vision exams, glasses, dental, or physicals. Your child's health and safety are very important to us. The greatest wealth is Health. Blessings from your School Nurse, Stephanie Myers RN, BSN
Reading
Tap into what your child knows
Everything your youngster does, sees, or reads gets filed away in his memory as background knowledge. Here are ways to help him use and build on this information to understand what he reads.
Jog his memory
Before you read, ask your child what he knows about the book’s topic. This gets his brain ready to take in new information. For a nonfiction book on bees, he may say the insects buzz and sometimes sting. Idea: Suggest that he draw bees on a sheet of paper and write and illustrate a fact on each bee. After you read, he can add more bees with things he learned.
Pair outings with books
A trip to a craft store or the dentist can fill your youngster’s tank of knowledge. Read library books related to upcoming outings, and discuss what you might see (pottery, hygienist). When you get home, reread the book. It may be more meaningful now that he has real-life experience. (“That’s right, the hygienist cleans your teeth before the dentist checks them.”)
I know that!
Help your child draw a stop sign on paper, cut it out, and glue it on a craft stick. Keep the sign nearby when you read. Each time he hears something familiar, he can hold up the stop sign. Stop reading to let him share what he knows. (“We have a pet hermit crab at school. When he outgrows his shell, he crawls into a new one.”)
What should I read aloud?
Your child is becoming an independent reader—but that doesn’t mean you have to stop reading aloud. In fact, older readers reap many benefits from story time. Here’s advice for deciding what to read.
Stretch his abilities
Choose something more challenging than what your youngster can read on his own. You’ll expose him to more complex plots and harder words. Stop periodically to check whether he understands what’s going on, and keep a dictionary nearby to look up new words. Idea: Scan books or read reviews ahead of time to make sure the content isn’t too mature.
Show enthusiasm
Pick reading material you and your child will both enjoy. Whether it’s a full-length novel or a short article, the pleasure you take in reading it is likely to be contagious. Consider a classic book you loved at your youngster’s age or a review of a restaurant the two of you would like to try.
Class Page
As a reminder, please make sure you check the Class Page for your child’s teacher. The Class Page is updated each Monday morning and has valuable information about the academic content being taught each week. The Class Page also includes tips to help your child at home. You may also visit the Encore teacher’s class page to see what they are learning in PE, Music, Art, Library, and Guidance.